Pumps for liquid dispensers



Oct. 11, 1960 P. J. DANIELS 2,955,543 I PUMPS FOR LIQUID DISPENSERS Filed Jan. 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2: HHHIMIWW' will I INVENTOR.

H [P 6 11 BY A TY'ORNEVS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III]! 1 Filed Jan. .19, 1959 A TTORNEVIS.

Un ted Stat s Pat Oil-C6 :PUMPS :non noun) DISPENSERS Paul'J.LDaniels,,2534 S. L1thiSt-,1Niles,flVIich. Filed Jan.-19, *1959, Ser;"No. l87,405 ill-Claims Joules- 449 This invention relates toirnprovernents in:pumps for liquid dispensers, and more;particularly to:-a purnp or lift assemblage "for use in automatic dispensers for "milk or other'bev'erages. This invention-'is-animprovement upon the device disclosed in my :cogpending application Serial No. #559,297, filed "January 16, 1956 now -Patent --No '2,- 909,125.

r The {health departments of many {States now require that the motors useddn- "automatic beverage dispensers *beisolatedfrom the main cabinet chamberto avoid'contarnination'of'the food, and'that the pumpsor'liftwhich is mounted in the main; chamber be readily disassemblable without tools to permit "easy "and "thorough cleaning. "It 'istheprincipal objectof'ithe presentinvention, therefore, 'to provide a pump "construction wherein the motor {and pump "units are mounted 'in. separate compartments, and

wh ein p mp aye=q kly n eas yidisassembled 'Iwithouttools for cleaning. V

A more specific object of the present .inVQht-iQ iSI D provide "a readily disconnectable pump assemblage f,or liguid'di spensers of'thetype described wherein. -a sleeve i p oj h u an emovablv secur d to the wall ep n e n hamber tromi hemotor .eornpartment, and-'wherein -the pump on one side of-said wall is' d e y r f r t t ly ii um led in said .sleeve and operativelyconnected to a motor on theother side of said W l "A ifurther specific object isyto ,provide a ,pump .a r

semblag s described wherein a hou ing containing-r ,tary lift n1echanisrn .is j'removably, mounted on a ,projecthis .portion of .th -pump shaft sleeve, and wherein .the pump components within said Q housing xare -removably .Gouuected :to said ,purnp shaft, "the entire unitq eing a apted tolbel, quicklydisassembled .withontitools.

St l further objects of: the presentlinvention are. topro .videanimproved.pumpassemblage for-liquid dispensers which ,is relatively simp e, which .is dura l and which isiefficient in operation.

With-thoabove and other objects in-view,..thetiuvention consists of .thei improvedmpumptfor. liquid. dispensers, and all of. its parts and combinations, as set .forth in the claims, and allequivalentsthereof.

. In the accompanying dr,awings, illustrating one com- Pleteembodiment er therpreferred. form. of: the invention, i hi h the-same, refereneenumerals design t he same partsqinall f theviews: :Eig. l isla:fmgmen ary:perspectivewiewof azbeverage dispenser cabinet, -;with parts thereofibeing-broken :away, showing dispensing mechanism includingthe improved pump orl lift mountedtherein;

2 is a vertical setionalview-ihrough the main ehamber top wall, showing {the complete'pwnpassemblage in "side elevation;

' Fig."3' is'abottom plan viewofthehptl lli housing with th P mp mp tsmonutedtherein; "Figi an exploded view fshqwiua-thepunrp housin in ide elevat on andgshowingr'the sleeve .andrassociated Patented Oct. 1 1, 1960 drive mechanism in perspective, with the docking pin removed;

Fig. 5 is a perspeetive-view-of-thepump-rotor; and

Fig. 6 is an exploded side elevational-view-of the rotor retaining plate and locking 1 bolt.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. -1 of the drawings, ithe numeral 10 designates a dispenser cabinet foran automatic --milk vending-machine. The cabinet includes a refrigerated main chamber 11, containing oneormoreconventional milk cans 12 and an insulated horizontal wall 113 *separating said main chamber from a motor. compartment "14. In the illustrated cabinet' the motor compartment is 'loeated :directly above the :main chamber but other zarrangements are also possible, and the ipresent :invention is designed for use in any I cabinet .whereinithemotor is mounted ina: separate compartment. Moreover, fit 'is :to be :understood that while :the illustnated dispenser :is of :the .type used in "milk vending machines, :the :pump 1 or ilift .c-assemblage comprising the present invention is equally .well .adapted for use in machines liispensingcotiee and 'Qther beverages.

' :As zwillzbetseenrinrFig. 1,a flexi ble-tube 15 leadsupwarrlly from 1t-he :interiorof gthe-milk container 12'int0 apump; housingzl6, suspended 'from-the-top wall 13. An outlet portion o'f the tube extends from the pump 'housing 102a? dispensing :outleti'or cup .port 17 formed in a wall of :the ;cabinet. In operation, milk is sucked upwardly through the :tube Zbyihe: pump or lift, in the manner disclosedinmy:copending-iapplication.Serial No. 559297, and ;discharged:throu'gh a spout .in:the dispensingoutlet.

Referring .now 510 i-Fig. .2, ithe-electric motor .18 which drives ;the pump :in the present invention is mounted: on and above the :top {wall 13 3 byrmeans of ElPblfiQkBt -119-and .includesia vertical; drive shaftu20 having a pinionZZ-l thereon. A .eylindrical sleeve 22 .is :projected tupwardly through saidrtopwall L3, a. portion i-projecting into the -:mot,or compartment and being externallyithreaded. The-portion .of.=saidsl eevezin themain chambersbelow the Wall113i$ of .a'larger diameter thanrthe upper; portion a 'at :ZZ'andineludes a clarnping disk 123-:formin-g acirumterential Shoulder abuttingdhe; underside of-.said'wall 1,3- :Said portioni22lof the sleeve has atangentialgroove (iEig. :4) rformedtherein, :thepurpose of which .will be hereinafter explained. .A nut Q'S;isrthreaded;ontoithe upper ,end :ofsaid sleeve and ,coacts with :the..-annnlar ofasaiddriven shaft 2:6;and is designed to-rigidlyconnect thegear'to the shaft-for:rotationitherewith. The lower end of said-driven shaft-has a -eircular collar 30. connected thereto (Fi with {its upper surface abutting the lower end of the sleeve 22;a-n.d rotatable therebeneath with the driven shaft, which .eollar has :a .pair. of spaced 'key holes =31 therein andr-alsohasia projectin-g'stem 26 with a threaded 130126 :32.

5A8 will be-seen inFig. 2,-aninverted-cup-like housing 1-6 is rmounted. On -the glower enlarged projecting portion 22 :of the sleeve, the :housingtop having a ;centr-al bore through which-said sleeve rportion extends to position thecollar 30 within they-housing. :For-medomtheit'op of said housing, .and partially surrounding said s-sleeve, :is a h rs h collar 33.v having a i-pair maligned holes :33! adjacent the .ends of collar. :Whenwthe #pump AS in its ass mbled condition, a :tapered pin; 34 .is :projected through said aligned :eollar t'holes ia11d; is .wedgingly gaged in the aforementioned tangential sleeve groove 24, thereby removably securing the housing to the sleeve enlargement 22' and effectively preventing rotation or vertical movement of the sleeve. As will be'readily appreciated, the pin may be manually withdrawn and the housing easily removed from'the sleeve when it is desired to clean or replace the members.

The flexible tube 15, .leading'from the milk can 12 as hereinbefore described, extends around the inside of the peripheral wall of the housing and is adapted to be engaged and compressed by spaced rollers 35 carried by a rotor 36 mounted on the lower projecting portion of the drive shaft. Said rotor is illustrated in Fig. and includes an arm 41, roller brackets 39 disposed at opposite ends of said arm and providing a transverse recess therebetween, and coil springs 40 secured to and between said arm and bracket members. Said rotor arm 41 has a transverse central hole 37 through which the internally threaded stem 26 on the 'collar 30 at the lower portion of the driven shaft 26 is projected. The 'rotor arm also has a pair of spaced key holes 38 designed to register with the key holes 31 in the drive shaft collar when the rotor is properly mounted on said drive shaft.

An elongated retaining plate 42 (Figs. 3 and 6) is carried on the lower projecting portion of the drive shaft adjacent the rotor 36, said plate having a central hole 44 and being mounted transversely to the longitudinal axis of the rotor arm. As will be seen in Fig. 6, the outer end portions 42' are preferably raised slightly from the normal plane of the plate body and form retaining arms to retain the tube 15 in assembled position within the housing. Said outer end portions 42' also have perpendicular ears 46 formed thereon, which ears are adapted to be gripped by the fingers to facilitate moving of the rollers when the tube 15 is being installed. When the rotor 36 and retaining plate 42 are in proper assembled relationship, a pair of pins 43 formed on said plate project into the registering rotor and drive shaft collar key holes 33 and 31 to drivably connect the rotor and plate to the driving shaft 26. A wing head bolt 45 is adapted to be threaded into the threaded bore 32 of the stem 26' to removably lock said rotor and retaining plate in position on said shaft. With this keying arrangement if the rotor is not right side up, then the retaining plate pins 43 will not enter the keying holes when the plate is extending transversely through the recess between the two brackets 39 as it must.

In the operation of the pump device comprising the present invention, the electric motor 18, acting through the meshing pinion 21 and gear 27, rotates the driven shaft 26 journaled within the sleeve 22. The driven shaft 26 in turn rotates the rotor 36 thereon and causes the rollers 35 to act on the flexible tube 15, milk being thereby lifted from the container 12 and caused to flow through the tube to the dispensing outlet 17.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing detailed description, the present invention provides a pump assemblage for automatic beverage dispensers wherein the pump and the operating motor may be mounted in separate compartments, and wherein the several pump portions in the main cabinet chamber may be quickly disassembled without tools, as required by the health departments of many States. To disassemble the pump, the locking bolt 45 is first manually removed from the internally threaded stem 26 at the lower end of the driven shaft, and the retaining plate and rotor slid from their positions on said shaft. The housing 16 may then be disengaged from the sleeve by merely withdrawing the wedge pin 34 and sliding said housing downwardly off of the sleeve, thereby completing the disassembly and permitting the thorough cleaning of the individual pump portions. As before mentioned, the keying arrangement insures proper reassembly of the rotor and plate.

' Various changes and modifications may be made in the structure described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a beverage dispenser having a main chamber and having a motor compartment and there being a separating wall between said chamber and motor compartment, a pump assemblage comprising: a motor mounted in said motor compartment; a sleeve extending through said separating wall and having a portion extending into the main chamber, the portion of said sleeve which extends into said main chamber being of enlarged diameter and having a tangential groove; a pump shaft rotatably journaled in said sleeve and projecting from both ends thereof; means on the end of said pump shaft in the motor compartment operatively connecting said shaft to the motor; a housing within the main chamber and having a collar receiving said sleeve, said collar having holes oppositely disposed and alineable with said tangential groove, a removable pin projected through said aligned collar holes and engaged in the tangential sleeve groove for removably locking the housing on said sleeve; and pumping means including a pump rotor on the pump shaft within said housing.

2. In a beverage dispenser having a main chamber and having a motor compartment and there being a separating wall between said chamber and motor compartment, a pump assemblage comprising: a motor mounted in said motor compartment; a sleeve extending through said separating wall and having a portion projecting from a side of said separating wall into the main chamber; a pump shaft rotatably journaled in said sleeve and projecting from both ends thereof; means on the portion of said pump shaft projecting into the motor compartment operatively connecting the same to the motor; a housing having an opening through which said pump shaft extends removably mounted on said project.- ing portion of the sleeve within the main chamber; a removable dispensing tube within said housing; a collar on said portion of said pump shaft which projects into said housing, said collar having a projecting stud and having at least one key hole; a rotor in said housing adapted to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which said collar stud extends, said rotor having a key hole in registration with the key hole in said collar; a retaining plate having a pin inserted into said registering rotor and collar key holes; and means removably engaged with the end of said collar stud to removably secure said rotor and retain ing plate in assembled position.

3. In a beverage dispenser having a main chamber and having a motor compartment and there being a separating wall between said chamber and motor compartment, a pump assemblage comprising: a motor mounted in said motor compartment; a sleeve extending through said separating wall and having a portion projecting from a side of said separating wall into the main chamber; a pump shaft rotatably journaled in said sleeve and projecting from both ends thereof; means on the portion of said pump shaft projecting into the motor compartment operatively connecting the same to the motor; a housing having an opening through which said pump shaft extends removably mounted on said projecting portion of the sleeve within the main chamber; a removable dispensing tube within said housing; a collar on said portion of said pump shaft which projects into said housing, said collar having a projecting stud and having at least one key hole; a rotor in said housing adapted to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which said collar stud extends, said rotor having a key hole in registration with the key hole in said collar; a retaining plate having a pin inserted into said registering rotor and collar key holes; and means removably engaged with the end of said collar stud to removably secure said rotor and retaining plate in assembled position, said' plate having projecting ends spear-4s? 4,. In an: automatic. beverage dispenser having aura-in; chamber and a. motor-compartment. and th'ere-being a separating Wall; between. said chamber. andv motor com. partrneng, a, pump? assemblage. comprising: a.- motor.-

mounted; in said motor compartment; a sleeve extending; through said separating wall and. having a: portion, prov-- jecting; in the main: chamberi which. has a. tangential. groove; a. pump, shaft rotatably journaledt in said sleeveand. projecting from--both-endsthereof; the=end of said shaft. in the main.- chamber having an internally, threaded; endbore; means on. the. portion, of. said shaft projecting ,intothe.-motgr compartment operativelycon-.-- fiecting the; same. tog the motor;. a. housing, having an opening through which said pump shaft extendsga collar on said liousirrg receiving said projecting'portion' of the sleeve," said cnllar: having; aligned-i lioless. therethrough alineable with.- the tangential groove; a removable pin projected through said aligned collar holes and engaged in the tangential groove of the sleeve portion to removably lock the housing on said sleeve; a removable dispensing tube in said housing; keying means on said pump shaft and positioned within said housing having at least one key hole; a rotor in said housing adapted to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which the pump shaft is projected and having a keying hole therethrough in registration with the key hole in said keying means; a retaining plate having a pin inserted into said registering rotor and keying means key holes; and a bolt threaded into the bore at the end of said pump shaft to removably secure the rotor and plate in assembled position.

5. In an automatic beverage dispenser of the type having a cabinet witha main chamber and a motor compartment and there being a separating wall between said chamber and motor compartment, and having a motor, including a shaftiwith a pinion thereon, mounted in said motor compartment, a pump assemblage comprising: a sleeve projected transversely through said separating wall and having portions projecting from both sides thereof, the portion of said sleeve which extends into said motor compartment being externally threaded and the portion projecting into the main chamber having a tangential groove and having a shoulder above said groove abutting said Wall; a nut on the threaded end of said sleeve cooperating with said shoulder to removably clamp the sleeve on said wall; a pump shaft rotatably journaled in said sleeve and projecting from both ends thereof, the end of said pump shaft Within the main chamber having an internally-threaded end bore; a gear mounted on the portion of said pump shaft Within the motor compartment and engaged with the motor shaft pinion; a housing mounted in the main chamber and having a peripheral wall; a-flexible liquid dispensing tube removably carried about the inner side of said wall; a horseshoe collar on said housing partially surrounding said projecting portion of the sleeve, said collar having a pair of aligned holes alineable with the tangential groove of the sleeve; a tapered pin projected through said aligned collar holes and engaged in said tangential groove removably locking the housing on the sleeve; keying means on said pump shaft within the housing and having at least one key hole; a rotor in the housing adapted to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which the pump shaft end is projected, and said rotor having a key hole therethrough in registration with the key hole in said pump shaft keying means; a retaining plate over said rotor and having a central hole and having a pin inserted into said registering rotor and keying means key holes; and a bolt extending through the central hole of said plate and threaded into said bore in the I .end of said pump shaft to removably secure the rotor and plate thereon.

6. In a beverage dispenser having a main chamber and arating walland hayingiawportionprojecting beyondrbotlv sides: thereof, means-on said projecting portions-- of; thee sleeve to for removably clamping; the same. to. the. wall; a: pump shaft-.rotatably-journaled' in said sleeve: and=project-t ing from both ends thereof,1meanson:-the: end of the pump shaft which. is inthe motor compartment: operably; connecting the same to said motor, .ahousingiinto which saidzpumptshaft projects removably,- mounted on:the=pors tion of; the :sleevetwhich' projects into the'main: chamber, and pumping; means. including :a pump: rotor: within; said housing and-removably-mounted on saidxpumprshaft:

7. A lift pump assemblage -comprisingaatubnlansup pprtz having an: external tangentialgroove; a housing having-.:a-co1lar. removably receivingrsaidrtubulansupporttanrfi saidscollar havingzoppositely-disposed 'holessalineable' with; said tangential groove of the support, a removable pin extending through said aligned collar holes and engaged in said tangential groove for removably locking the housing on said tubular support, a pump shaft journaled in said tubular support and having an end projecting rotatably into said housing, and pumping means including a pump motor removably mounted on said end Within said housing.

8. A lift pump assemblage comprising a tubular support having an external tangential groove, a housing having a collar receiving said tubular support and said collar having oppositely disposed holes alineable with said tangential groove of the support, a removable pin extending through said aligned collar holes and engaged in said tangential groove for removably locking the housing on said tubular support, a pump shaft journaled in said tubular support and having an end projecting into said housing and provided with keying means, pumping means including a pump rotor removably mounted on said end Within said housing and having registering keying means, a plate on said rotor and having keying means removably coacting with said registering keying means, and means on the pump shaft and rotor for removably attaching said plate to said pump shaft end.

9. A lift pump assemblage comprising a housing having a central opening, a pump shaft extending rotatably through said central opening and having an end within the housing, a removable dispensing tube Within the housing, a collar on said end of the pump shaft having a projecting stud and having at least one key hole, a rotor in said housing positioned to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which said collar stud extends, said rotor having a key hole in registration with the key hole in said collar, a retaining plate on said rotor having a projecting pin inserted in said registering rotor and collar key holes, and means readily detachably connecting said plate to said collar stud to removably secure the rotor in assembled position.

10. A lift pump assemblage comprising a housing having a central opening, a pump shaft extending rotatably through said central opening and having an end within the housing, a removable dispensing tube within the housing, a collar on said end of the pump shaft having a projecting stud and having at least one key hole, a rotor in said housing positioned to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which said collar stud extends, said rotor having a key hole in registration with the key hole in said collar, a retaining plate on said rotor having a projecting pin inserted in said registen'ng rotor and collar key holes, and means readily detachably connecting said plate to said collar stud to re movably secure the rotor in assembled position, said plate having projecting ends overlapping said dispensing tube to maintain the latter in position in the housing.

11. A lift pump assemblage comprising a housing having a central opening, a pump shaft extending rota tably through said central opening and having an end within the housing, a removable dispensing tube within the housing, a collar on said end of the pump shaft having a projecting stud and having at least one key hole, a rotor in said housing positioned to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which said collar stud extends, said rotor having a key hole in registration with the key hole in said collar, a retaining plate on said rotor having a projecting pin inserted in said registering rotor and collar key holes, and means readily detachably connecting said plate to said collar stud to removably secure the rotor in assembled position, said plate having projecting ends overlapping said dispensing tube to maintain the latter in position in the housing, and manually operable ears bent outwardly from said projecting ends.

12. A lift pump assemblage comprising a housing having a central opening, a pump shaft extending rotatably through said central opening and having an end within the housing, a removable dispensing tube within the housing, a collar on said end of the pump shaft having a projecting stud and having spaced key holes, a rotor in said housing positioned to engage and depress the dispensing tube and having a central opening through which said 'collar stud extends and having a transverse central recess, said rotor having spaced key holes in registration with the key holes in said collar, a retaining plate on said rotor having projecting pins positioned for insertion in said registering rotor and collar key holes only when the rotor is right side up and when the plate is extending transversely of the rotor in the transverse recess thereof, and means readily detachably connecting said plate to said collar stud to removably secure the rotor and plate in proper assembled position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,314,281 Knott Mar. 16, 1943 

